ISAS Insights

The long-awaited – and several-times postponed – an ti-terror military operation in Pakistan’s North Waziristan began on Sunday, 15 June 2014. The announcement that the operation had been launched first came from the military, not the civilian administration. “On the direction of the government, the Armed Forces of Pakistan hav e launched a comprehensive operation against the foreign and local terrorists who are hi ding in sanctuaries in North Waziristan. The operation has been named Zarb-e-Azb ”, said the statement issued from the Army headquar ters in Rawalpindi”. 2 Azb was the name of the sword used by Prophet Muha mmad in various battles associated with the early spread of Islam. Zarb mea ns “to hit”.